The United States has imposed sanctions on two Iranian and Russian entities for spreading disinformation ahead of the presidential election.
According to a foreign news agency, the US Treasury Department announced the sanctions, accusing the two entities of trying to create divisions among Americans ahead of the November elections. The Russian and Iranian governments are spreading disinformation through fake videos, news and social media posts. This information was used to influence voters and damage the election before the presidential election.
According to US Treasury Department officials, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a Russian organization in Moscow, spread disinformation about American candidates and provided financial support. These included deepfake videos created using artificial intelligence. The sanctions apply to the organization as well as its director, who worked with Russian military intelligence agents who monitor cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.
US officials said the Iranian organization, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is a subsidiary of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the US has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The organization has worked to escalate political tensions in the US since 2023.
US intelligence agencies have accused the Iranian government of trying to incite protests in the US over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran has also been accused of hacking the accounts of several high-ranking current and former US officials, including senior members of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Russia and Iran have rejected the US accusations.
